Instead of having compensators that will always give you a fixed pressure drop (“to give a certain flow out of the valve and thus a certain speed of the system”), you can achieve this more simply with a valve that has advanced electronics on board and that can make sure that you’re hitting that flow rate. Instead of having all these different orifices and spools and mechanical sensing elements, you can reduce part count and complexity in the valve by closing the loop around the spool.”
But now that we’re seeing systems becoming more advanced, they’re also becoming simpler. And that was the only way it could be done. “All the sensing and logic was done by spools and different springs and orifices and lots of mechanical contrivances that got the job done. “I usually compare it to a Swiss watch,” he added. “In the late 1980s through the early 2000s, when electrohydraulics started becoming much more prevalent, the control in the valve was largely mechanical,” Eichler explained. “That’s really what we’re seeing as the future,” Eichler said.ĭoes the introduction of new technologies simplify or complicate the design characteristics? To some extent, the industry is witnessing a bit of both.
In this example, the focus is less about developing brand new hydraulic valve technology and more about bringing new communication possibilities into existing hydraulic systems, including programming valves by NFC (near field communication) with your phone, with your table or with your computer, and doing so wirelessly or through different bus protocols. The range of functions include actual value (spool position), temperature, operating hours and various error messages. The next generation FP valve will have several communication protocols, especially IO-Link. As Parker’s highest dynamic valve, it has been around for 20 years and is designed for the most demanding applications such as general presses, machine tools and blow molding. Parker’s upcoming generation of DFplus control valves is a fitting example of future design. In some applications, they may be going more electromechanical for their control or for certain components.” Our focus in our manufacturing division is hydraulic valves but, as electrification comes, those valves are getting smarter. “It’s not as much that you either go hydraulics, pneumatic or electromechanical anymore,” he explained. At Parker Hannifin’s motion systems group, various divisions work together. “The way that fluid power works, you can get a lot of bang for your buck-it’s a very dense solution in a small space,” emphasized Eichler, a mechanical engineer who specializes in hydraulic valve applications.Īn either/or debate about hydraulics supports a way of thinking that’s more academic than it is practical, said Eichler. “You can get a lot of bang for your buck-it’s a very dense solution.”Īcross the board, hydraulic experts tend to agree that the combination of high power density, large force output and the ease with which one can actualize motion makes hydraulic transmission stand head above shoulders in industrial and mobile hydraulic machinery. “Those really high-force, high-demand applications still are largely done by hydraulic valves,” said Eicher. Based solely on the force, speed required and the energy consumed, he argued, it would be size- and cost-burdensome to drive all components directly using electromechanical solutions. Mitch Eicher, a business development manager at Parker Hannifin, contends that traditional hydraulic components will remain critical to systems where the flow rate, pressure or actuators need to be controlled. Electrohydraulic pumps, for instance, are touted for being up to 80% more efficient than their traditional counterparts. With the investments shifting toward renewable energy and as time goes on, newer technologies related to high-pressure hydraulic systems become more applicable. But does it also mean that traditional hydraulics are on a steady path to being permanently displaced?
It compels industrial manufacturers to review their competitive stance so they can identify the simplest, safest, most economical systems that are both scalable and easy to maintain. The current surge and expected growth in the integration of electronics with hydraulics reveals a shift in focus.
Along with the trade up from purely mechanical to electrohydraulic components comes the expectation of higher levels of performance, accuracy and scalability.With the advantages of a high power density, large force output and easiness to actualize linear motions, hydraulic transmission systems are widely used in industrial hydraulics and for mobile hydraulic machinery.Mitch Eichler, business development manager at Parker Hannifin, is a mechanical engineer with a passion for commercializing hydraulic valve applications designs.